How to distinguish a diamond from a fake at home. How to distinguish natural semi-precious and precious stones from imitations

There are so many minerals - perhaps part of the reason why they are so interesting to collect. On this page you will find a description of experiments that can be carried out without special equipment and thus significantly narrow the search area, as well as a description of the most common minerals that can be compared with the results of the experiments. You can even go to the description section right now - maybe you will immediately, without any experience, be able to find the answer to your question. For example, in this section, you will learn how to tell real gold from other shiny yellow minerals, read about streaks of brilliant colored layers in the rock, or learn how to determine what kind of strange mineral that flakes into plates when rubbed.

Steps

Part 1

Conducting experiments

First, let's understand the difference between minerals and ordinary stones. A mineral is a natural combination of chemical elements that forms a certain structure. And, despite the fact that you can find the same mineral in different shapes and colors, it will still show the same properties when tested. In contrast, stones can be composed of a combination of minerals and do not have a crystal lattice. It is not always easy to distinguish them, however, if the experiment gives different results from different sides of the object, then the object is most likely a stone.

You can try to determine what kind of stone it is, or at least determine which of the three types of rock it belongs to.

Learn to navigate the classification of minerals. Thousands of minerals have found a place on our planet, but many of them are rare or lie too deep underground. Sometimes a couple of experiments are enough, and you are left in no doubt that this is one of the common minerals from the list in the next section. If your mineral does not fit any of the above descriptions, try consulting your region's mineral classifier. If you have done a lot of experiments, but have not been able to reduce the number of options to two or three, look on the Internet. Look at the photos of each mineral that looks like yours and look for all the possible tips on how to distinguish these minerals.
- It is better to include at least one test that requires exposure to the mineral, such as a hardness test or a stroke test. Experiences that involve only viewing and describing may turn out to be biased, since different people describe the same minerals in different ways.
Study the shape and surface of the mineral. The set of forms of each mineral and the characteristic features of a group of minerals is called the "general form". To describe these characteristics, geologists have a variety of technical terms, but usually a general description is enough. For example, is your mineral bumpy, rough, or smooth? What is it: a mixture of rectangular crystals, or is your specimen bristling with sharp crystal peaks?

Take a closer look at how your mineral shines. Luster refers to the way a mineral reflects light, and although this is not a scientific test, it may be useful to describe. Most minerals have a "glassy" ("glossy") or metallic sheen. However, you can also describe gloss as "thick", "pearl" (whitish sheen), "matte" (dull, like unglazed ceramic), or any other definition you feel is accurate. .

Pay attention to the color of the mineral. Most people do not see any difficulty in this, but, meanwhile, this experience may be useless. Small foreign inclusions can cause a change in color, which is why you can find the same mineral in different colors. However, if the mineral has an unusual color, say purple, this can narrow your search considerably.
- When describing minerals, avoid fancy color names like "salmon" or "puce". Try to get by with just red, black and green.
Experiment with a stroke. This is a useful and easy test, as long as you have a piece of white unglazed porcelain. The reverse side of the tiles from the bathroom or kitchen is perfect; maybe you can buy something suitable at the repair supply store. Having become the owner of the coveted piece of porcelain, just rub the mineral on the tile and see what color stroke it leaves. Often the color of the stroke will differ from the base color of the mineral.
- Glaze gives porcelain and other types of ceramics a glassy (glossy) sheen.
- Be aware that some minerals do not leave a streak, especially hard minerals (as they are harder than a streak plate).
Assess the hardness of the material. To quickly determine the hardness of a material, geologists use the Mohs hardness scale, named after its creator. If the result fits the hardness factor "4", but does not reach "5", then the coefficient of your mineral is between "4" and "5", you can stop the experiment. Try scratching your mineral using the common items listed below (or the minerals from the hardness test kit); start at the bottom and, if the test is positive, move up the scale to the top:
- 1 -- Easy to scratch with fingernail, feel oily and soft (corresponds to stearite notch)
- 2 -- Can be scratched with a fingernail (gypsum)
- 3 -- Can be easily cut with a knife or nail, scratched with a coin (calcite, calcareous)
- 4 -- Easy to scratch with a knife (fluorspar)
- 5 -- Difficult to scratch with a knife, can be scratched with a piece of glass (apatite)
- 6-- Can be scratched with a file, he, with effort, can scratch glass (orthoclase)
- 7-- Can scratch file steel, easily scratches glass (quartz)
- 8 -- Scratches quartz (topaz)
- 9 -- Scratches almost anything, cuts glass (corundum)
- 10 -- Scratches or cuts almost anything (diamond)
Break the mineral and study what pieces it breaks into. Due to the fact that each mineral has a certain structure, then it must break up into parts in a certain way. If you observe more flat surfaces in faults of the same rock, then we are dealing with cleave. If there are no flat surfaces, but continuous chaotic bends and bulges are observed, then a fracture is present in the mineral.
- The cleavage is described in more detail by the number of planes produced by the fracture (usually one to four); also takes into account the concept perfect(smooth) or imperfect(rough) surface.
- Breaks are of several types. They are described as splintery ( fibrous), sharp and serrated ( hooked), bowl-shaped ( shelly, cochlear) or none of the above ( uneven).
If you still have not identified your mineral, you can conduct additional experiments. There are many other tests available to geologists for classifying minerals. However, many are simply not useful for identifying the most common species, many requiring special equipment or hazardous materials. Here is a summary of a few experiences that may be necessary:

Part 2
Determination of the main minerals
1. If you do not understand any of the following descriptions, please refer to the previous section. The descriptions below contain terms and numbers from the traditional classification of minerals, such as shape, hardness, fractured appearance, or other definitions. If you don't know exactly what they mean, refer to the previous section on experimenting.
  
  Crystalline minerals are most often represented by quartz. Quartz is extremely widespread. The bright brilliance and beautiful appearance of the crystal attract many collectors. On the Mohs scale, quartz has a hardness factor of 7, and if it is broken, you can see any kind of fracture, but never the flat surface characteristic of cleavage. It leaves no mark on white porcelain. Its luster is characterized as glassy.
  - '''Milky quartz is a translucent mineral, rose quartz is pink, and amethyst is purple.
2. A solid glassy mineral without crystals can be another kind of quartz, flint or hornfels. Absolutely all quartz has a crystalline structure, however, some varieties, called "cryptocrystalline", consist of microscopic crystals that are not visible to the eye. If you have a mineral with a hardness factor of 7, with a fracture and with a glassy luster, then it is quite possible that this is a variety of quartz called flint. The most common flint is brown or gray.
  
  Banded minerals are usually chalcedony. Chalcedony is a mixture of quartz and another mineral, morganite. There are many beautiful varieties with stripes of different colors. Here are the two most common:
  - Onyx is a type of chalcedony with parallel stripes. Most often it is black or white, but there are onyxes and other colors.
  - Agate has bands that are more curved or swirling, and agates come in all sorts of colors. Agate is formed from quartz, chalcedony or similar minerals.
3. Check if your mineral matches the characteristics of feldspar. Feldspar is the second most widely distributed after all varieties of quartz. The hardness factor of this mineral is 6, it leaves a white streak; you can find feldspar of various colors and with different brilliance. When broken, it forms two flat cleavages, the smooth surfaces of which are almost at right angles to each other.

Jewelry with diamonds is the dream of many girls and women. However, before rushing to purchase such an expensive product, you should read the recommendations of experts on how to check a diamond for authenticity so as not to become a victim of fraud.

Many people are interested in the question of how to distinguish a diamond from a fake, it is especially relevant among those who already have such jewelry or are just about to make an expensive and pleasant purchase.

Methods for checking diamonds for authenticity

One of the easiest ways to make sure that you are the owner of real diamonds is to have the stone appraised by professionals in the jewelry business. However, if this is not possible, since jewelers cost a lot of money to appraise gemstones, you can try to do it yourself. The following tips will come to your aid on how to distinguish a diamond at home from fakes:

A real diamond will never be cut in silver or another inexpensive metal. Such an expensive stone in the manufacture of jewelry is combined with the same expensive precious metals - mainly gold and platinum.
A perfectly smooth and even surface of a diamond without any defects is a sure sign that what is in front of you is not a precious stone known for its brilliance and brilliance, but a fake.
Real diamonds should not show through. If you managed to read lines from a newspaper or magazine through a stone, you have a fake in front of you.
Cut diamonds always shine and play with light. Against their background, other stones look pale and dull, even despite the high-quality cut. The diamond is endowed with a high degree of refraction, so it should sparkle strongly in the light. No other stone can be confused with the brilliance and play of a diamond.
Diamonds never fog up. By choosing this method of self-checking diamonds for authenticity, it is enough to wipe the stone with a dry flannel cloth and breathe on it for a few seconds. Evaporation immediately forms on the surface of any fake, the diamond will remain dry and shiny.
Genuine diamonds are not visible in water due to their transparency. By lowering a stone or jewelry with it into a container of water, you can check which stone you own - a real gem or a fake.
You can use another way to distinguish a real diamond from a fake one. Its essence boils down to the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the diamond. Under ultraviolet rays, this gem always glows blue. Moissanite will glow in other shades.
Diamonds heat up for a very long time under the influence of the heat of the human body. If you don’t know how to determine the authenticity of a diamond at home, to make sure that you don’t have a fake in front of you, just hold it in your palm and hold it in it for a while. Before the stone heats up, the cold from the diamond will be felt in the hand for a long time.
It is known that diamonds do not scratch, so you can rub its surface with sandpaper. If there is no trace left on the stone, then it is really real.

How can you tell if a diamond is real or fake?

A more reliable way to determine the authenticity of a diamond is to use an electronic tester, which allows you to distinguish a diamond from fakes, with the exception of moissanite, a high-quality diamond simulant. However, another method will help in this: the stone must be lowered into a liquid having a specific gravity below 3.17 - the specific gravity of moissanite. During this test, the diamond will sink to the bottom while the moissanite will float to the surface of the water.

Most often, under the guise of diamonds, moissanite is given out. In this case, it will be useful to know one more option, how to determine whether a diamond is real, and not a high-tech diamond simulant. To do this, you need to hold it under fire: the real diamond will not suffer, but the moissanite will turn green, which will be impossible to get rid of. This method of determining the authenticity of a precious stone is suitable for those people who are not afraid to part with the jewelry, even if it is a fake.

Colored or fancy diamonds are especially valued because they have a high aesthetic appeal and are mined extremely rarely - no more than a few dozen stones a year. Based on this, they are more expensive than other types of diamonds, which is why they are counterfeited more often than colorless stones.

Differences between diamond and rock crystal

The popularity of rock crystal in jewelry is due to the fact that this stone is very similar to a diamond. There are still differences between a diamond and rock crystal.

To make sure that it is a diamond in front of you, and not rock crystal, you can do the following: sprinkle a few drops of water on the stone, take a needle and poke it into the drops. If the water did not spread over the surface of the stone, but retained its shape, then you were not deceived.

Rock crystal allows jewelers to use various types of cut, as a result of which the stone acquires a dazzling brilliance. This property of crystal is used to imitate diamonds.

There is another distinctive feature of jewelry with these different stones. It is known that only expensive metal is used as a setting for real diamond stones, mainly gold and platinum. Rock crystal is more often set in silver, sometimes in gold.

How to distinguish a real diamond from a glass fake: determining authenticity

Experts in the world of jewelry reveal a few secrets on how to distinguish a diamond from glass and not give a large amount of money for a cheap fake.

To make it easier to determine the authenticity of a diamond, it is better to purchase a magnifying glass, which is sold in any jewelry store. The fact is that a diamond is a mineral of natural origin, so it cannot be flawless. Inside the stone, you can see various inclusions, which will never be in a fake in the form of glass or other artificial material. True, artificial diamonds can also look perfect, so you should not rely on this only criterion for the authenticity of a diamond.

In this case, it is worth using additional methods on how to distinguish a real diamond from a fake, namely, from glass. If you pay attention to the edges of the stone, then the diamond will have sharp edges, while the fake ones will be rounded. Pay attention to how the stone is fixed: if it is unreliable, then it is not real.

And finally - bring the stone under the sun's rays. The way diamonds shimmer and play with light is a unique process. First, a gray-white glow appears inside the stone, and rainbow rays form outside, which are reflected on other surfaces. Many people mistakenly believe that diamonds shine with all the colors of the rainbow, in fact this is not the case, it is the gray-white radiance that appears inside the stone, and if it is multi-colored, most likely it is an artificial diamond or its fake. Crystal will never sparkle like a diamond, despite the use of modern technology in its cutting.

To distinguish a diamond from glass, you can use the following method, which uses a newspaper or magazine. Take a stone and put it on top of the printed text, if letters are visible through it, then you have purchased a cheap fake, and not an expensive diamond. This method of determining the authenticity of diamonds is possible only if they are perfectly cut.

Simple ways to distinguish a real diamond from a fake

You have become a happy owner of a precious jewelry encrusted with real diamonds, but doubt the authenticity of the stones? You can check their authenticity using the following affordable and easy ways to identify a diamond at home and distinguish it from a fake:

Take sandpaper and lightly scratch the surface of the stone. If it remains intact, without scratches and roughness, there can be no doubt about the authenticity of the diamond.
Breathe on the stone for a few seconds: a real diamond will never fog up because it has a high heat conductivity. Other stones, given out under the guise of diamonds, are sure to fog up.
If you have substandard emerald and sapphire at home, you can try to check the authenticity of the diamond with their help. Take two stones - an emerald or sapphire and a diamond, and scratch the diamond with them. The fact is that these minerals are quite hard rocks, and only a genuine diamond can damage them.
A real diamond will not be affected by hydrochloric acid, this chemical will not affect the appearance and properties of the gemstone. And a fake or artificial stone will lose its attractive appearance, as a result of which they will no longer imitate a diamond. On a fake, hydrochloric acid will leave white marks.
Zirconium can be used as a fake when creating precious jewelry with diamond samples. You can distinguish these two stones by using a diamond pencil. The sharp end of such a tool is pressed onto the surface of the stone, if there are scratches, then you have zirconium in front of you. You should not press hard on the stone, because even a real diamond can be damaged in this way.

How to distinguish diamonds from cubic zirkonia?

Counterfeits of diamonds existed as early as 1920. At that time, forms of spinel such as corundolite and radiant were used as fakes. Soon their list was replenished with such minerals as titanium, strontium, sapphire, rutile and some others. It was these minerals that led the fake diamond market.

In recent years, a new group of imitation diamonds has emerged that are of higher quality, making them much more difficult to distinguish from genuine diamonds. The most common imitator is zirconium dioxide, or cubic zirconia, which can easily be confused with a diamond.

It was discovered in 1976 and has since been ranked second only to moissanite in the list of fake diamonds. Cubic zirconias in the jewelry market are sold in different colors and brightness. The most expensive are colorless cubic zirconias, because they are the most difficult to produce and they look more like diamonds.

The relative density coefficient of a diamond is lower than that of cubic zirconia, this feature can be used in the process of checking a diamond for authenticity by using a special device that resembles a pen nib. A diamond is tested for authenticity under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, in which a fake stone turns green-yellow.

However, many are interested in how to recognize a real diamond without such a special device. Experts in the field of jewelry give some tips on how to check the authenticity of a diamond at home in order to distinguish them from fakes:

The most important difference between these two stones is their hardness. Naturally mined diamond will always be harder than cubic zirconia. To distinguish between these two minerals, you can run them on glass: a diamond will leave a noticeable mark behind. Based on this feature of a precious stone, you should know that only the same mineral can damage a diamond.
The use of fat of vegetable or animal origin will also help to verify the authenticity or fake of a precious stone. During the examination, vegetable oil or melted fat can be used. They need to moisten the brush and apply a few drops of the product to the surface of the stone. The oil on the surface of the cubic zirconia will break up into many small droplets, while on the diamond it will remain in its original form.

How to identify a real diamond at home?

Many believe that there are no minerals on earth that can sparkle brighter than diamonds. In fact, such a diamond simulant exists, it is a mineral called "moissanite". Experts in the world of jewelry art offer several options for how to identify a real diamond at home and distinguish it from moissanite.

Moissanite is brighter than a real diamond, so a diamond is more difficult to distinguish from it than from cubic zirconia. Chemically, this mineral is known as silicon carbide or carborundum. The natural properties of moissanite make it possible to pass it off as a diamond even without much effort of jewelers, as well as the use of the latest technologies and modern equipment.

Natural diamonds have a rough surface and black inclusions, which is not observed in stones of artificial origin.

How to determine the authenticity of a diamond in a ring or other jewelry

Don't know how to distinguish a diamond in a ring while shopping for a piece of jewelry? Pay attention to whether the stone is glued to the frame. The fact is that when working with diamonds, glue is practically not used. Rock crystal is often attached to jewelry in this way. There is another affordable way to identify a diamond in a ring: take a piece of jewelry in your hand, bring it closer to your face and carefully look deep into the stone. In real diamonds, the radiance will go deep inside, it will be impossible to see the bottom in such a stone.

There is another proven way to identify a diamond in a piece of jewelry when you need to distinguish it from cubic zirconia. To do this, take the jewelry in your hand and look through it at the light. A cut diamond, due to its optical properties, which are achieved after its cutting, does not transmit light, all that can be seen when looking into it is a bright luminous point. Fianint, on the contrary, has a high throughput.

How and where to check the authenticity of a diamond in a ring?

X-rays are another method for checking the authenticity of a diamond in a ring or other piece of jewelry. Diamonds are characterized by a "radio-transparent" molecular structure. This means that genuine diamonds will never show up on an x-ray. Glass, cubic zirconia and rock crystal have very pronounced "radio-opaque" properties, so they become visible in x-rays.

In order to check diamonds with an X-ray, it is necessary to transfer the jewelry to a special laboratory for checking the authenticity of precious stones. The laboratory is not the only place where you can check the authenticity of a diamond, such services can still be provided by some jewelry stores, which employ qualified expert jewelers.

In laboratory conditions, the following methods and tools can be used to determine the authenticity of a diamond:

Weighing on carat scales. One of the ways to determine the authenticity of a real diamond is to weigh it: the size of the stone must necessarily correspond to the weight in grams or carats. Experts note that cubic zirconias and zircons are 55% heavier than diamonds, so it will not be difficult to see a fake with the help of scales.

Quartz lamp. Ultraviolet rays highlight natural diamonds in blue, yellow, pink or lilac. If the stone glows bright white, it indicates a fake.

Methods such as determining the authenticity of a diamond in a ring allow those who want to acquire a precious piece of jewelry to avoid being deceived by unscrupulous sellers.

How to distinguish an artificial diamond in a ring from a natural one (with photo)

In the process of making precious jewelry, both real diamonds and these stones of artificial origin are used. At the same time, artificial stones are sold at the price of diamonds of natural origin.

Having jewelry with a precious stone, many girls and women are looking for ways to identify a real diamond. At home, the following tests and experiments can be carried out to confirm the authenticity or fake of a diamond:

A real diamond tends to behave in a certain way in a greasy environment. To determine the authenticity of a precious stone, lightly smear it with vegetable oil and attach it to a flat glass surface. A real diamond will stick to glass.
When choosing jewelry, do not be tempted to buy it at a better price. It should be understood that diamonds are the most expensive gems, so they cannot be cheap.
A real diamond should be set in an "open back" piece of jewelry so that the gem can be easily viewed from behind. In this case, the rear surface should not have a smooth mirror finish.
Genuine diamonds have a rough surface and black inclusions, which is not observed in stones created in artificial conditions.
Another way to distinguish an artificial diamond from a natural one is to use a magnet. Sometimes, when determining the authenticity of diamonds, jewelers also use a magnet. The fact is that it attracts 90% of artificially grown stones.
The use of a magnifying glass is a good option on how to distinguish an artificial diamond from a genuine gemstone. Magnifier. All irregularities, small cracks, foreign inclusions, air bubbles and other defects are inherent only in stones of natural origin. Many of them can be seen only during the inspection under a magnifying glass.

In jewelry stores, diamonds can also be replaced with fakes in the form of stones such as synthetic rutile, white sapphire, yttrium aluminum garnet. If, after familiarizing yourself with all these methods for determining the authenticity of a cut diamond, you still do not know how to distinguish a natural diamond from a fake or If you doubt their effectiveness and reliability, when buying a product, check all certificates and certificates attached to it. Diamonds of high quality production always have GIA and AGS certificates, which are their real passport.

Ways to distinguish a real diamond are shown in these photos:

How to distinguish a black diamond from other stones?

Jewelry with black diamonds has always been valued above colorless gems. Such minerals are considered quite rare and expensive, so fakes are often sold instead. Under the guise of a black diamond, sapphire, moissanite, spinel can be sold.

How to distinguish a black diamond from other stones? You will need a 20x magnifying glass for this. The one who examines the stone takes it in his hand and peers into the structure under a magnifying glass. If cubic zirconia was used instead of an expensive black diamond, double faces will be visible, which is completely unusual for diamonds.

How to determine the value of a diamond: the main criteria

Price is one of the important criteria to determine the authenticity of a stone. True, you should know that even ordinary glass, passed off as a precious stone, can have a high cost.

How to determine the cost of a diamond, and on the basis of what main criteria is the price of these natural expensive stones formed? The value of diamonds is determined based on criteria such as their color, clarity, carats and cut.

The final price is formed by the gem's certification, which is issued by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), EGL (European Gemological Laboratory), IGI (International Gemological Institute). There are similar centers in Russia.

All available methods on how to identify a diamond at home are in the video below. They will help you independently evaluate the diamond and establish its authenticity. However, for more accurate and reliable results, nevertheless, a laboratory study should be carried out.

Almost all souvenir shops selling stones have these fakes. This is not about passing off cheap minerals as more expensive ones, as is the case with dyed "turquoise" from howlite or "citrines" from burnt amethyst, but about artificial imitations of semiprecious stones. The undisputed leaders here are cat's eye, aventurine and "moonstone".

Fake cat eye

Most souvenir stalls sell this particular borosilicate glass.

Choice - for every taste and color!

In addition to glass, synthetic minerals such as ketsite and ulexite are used to simulate the "cat's eye".

In fact, "cat's eye" is not even a specific stone, but the name of the iridescence effect characteristic of some minerals. This optical effect really resembles a cat's eye.
Natural "cat's eye" chrysoberyl (cymophane) is very expensive, like diamonds and rubies. Naturally, such stones are not sold in souvenir shops. In magical terms, the "cat's eye" is considered a protective stone. There is no need to be upset because of its inaccessibility, because there are also other types of eye stones - tiger, falcon and bull's eye. They are not uncommon, they are inexpensive, so they are usually not faked. Products from the tiger's eye are available in almost all shops.

Natural "cat's eye" chrysoberyl

There is nothing wrong with the glass "cat's eye" - it is a wonderful, bright and inexpensive material for jewelry. But if the seller calls it natural, this is already a hoax. Although very often sellers in souvenir shops themselves do not understand their product and sincerely believe in the naturalness of glass. But what can I say if fakes are used as illustrations in seemingly serious encyclopedias on minerals. This is what the publishers save on copywriters and the laziness of the copywriters themselves, who do not know how to use Google normally, leads to.

Such sparkling golden sequins beads are usually sold under the guise of aventurine. This is not a mineral, but a special aventurine glass with a crumb of copper, cobalt, iron or chromium oxide.

"The modern glass industry has many compositions of aventurine glasses obtained in different years in different countries. Aventurine glasses are known with brilliant inclusions containing oxides of silicon, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, chromium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, titanium, nickel , silicon (SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, MnO, Fe2O3, Cr2O3, P2O5, Na2O), etc. As you can see, a significant part of the periodic system of elements is involved. and low hardness of the resulting glass (650-730 kg / mm2) This leads to a high cost of aventurine glass products due to high energy consumption and reduces their consumer properties, since the polished glass surface with low hardness quickly loses its quality due to abrasion.

Now technologists and chemists in this industry are faced with the task of obtaining aventurine glass of high microhardness and mechanical strength, expanding its decorative properties, as well as reducing the cost of the process and composition through the use of cheaper raw materials. This is a requirement of modern design art and increased industrial possibilities. Therefore, scientific institutes, together with factories, are developing in the direction of reducing the cost of aventurine glasses, and one of the options is to use raw materials containing up to 60% slag in the charge. Aventurine glass based on high-iron slags is being tested. Along with good decorative properties, it has improved physical and chemical properties: increased microhardness and alkali resistance, a softening point of about 650 ° C, and a refractive index of up to 1.596 units.

In recent years, our scientists have managed to obtain glass alloys of increased hardness and improved strength characteristics by introducing boron oxides, expanding the color gamut, and enhancing the aventurine effect by introducing oxides of copper, chromium, titanium, calcium and other various metals. Great achievements in the invention of aventurine alloys belong scientists of the State Research and Design Institute of the Nitrogen Industry and Products of Organic Synthesis, a worthy contribution was made by the inventor A.V. Kochanova from Lipetsk and many other scientists. These inventions are of worldwide importance and are protected by patents.

The technology for obtaining such glasses is rather complicated. First, the prepared charge is melted in high power furnaces at 1350-1400 oC for about an hour, then the temperature is somewhat reduced, and after a short exposure, annealing is carried out at 750 oC. To obtain glass, enrichment products of apatite-nepheline ores and feldspar mineral raw materials are used in the composition with granulated blast-furnace and converter, ferrochrome slags, selecting them in accordance with the required ratio of components. To increase the strength and stability of the composition, boron oxides (B2O3) are added, oxides of lanthanum, cesium, samarium, etc. (La2O3, CeO2, Sm2O3) are added to expand the color gamut, titanium, potassium and copper oxides (TiO2, K2O, Cu2O) mixed areas in all colors of the rainbow, which is fixed on the glasses in the form of frozen multi-colored patterns with sparkles of crystals of chromium, manganese and copper (Cr2O3, MnO, Cu2O). and in the mass - golden, pink, green sparkles ranging in size from 0.5 to 2.0 microns." link

Most often, brick-colored glass is sold in shops, but it can also be blue, black, green ...

This is what real adventure looks like

Natural aventurine is a kind of quartz, it really has small sparks - inclusions of lamellar or scaly minerals (green micaceous fuchsite, cherry red hematite, etc.) that cause the stone to flicker when it is turned. In aventurine glass, there are many sparkles and they are the same size, while in stone there are usually few sparkles, they are of different sizes and brightness. Aventurine stone is inexpensive, so it makes sense to look for a real one in specialized stores. In simple souvenir shops there is only glass.

"Moonstone" - frosted glass

Beautiful, right? But this is just glass, which our souvenir shops are filled with.

There really is something lunar in him...

"Moonstone" is a folk, not a mineralogical name. "Moonstone" is called the mineral adularia, and sometimes belomorite and labrodorite ("dark lunar").

An important attribute of a precious stone throughout the world is a certificate. Experts note that in the trade and production of diamonds, certificates have become much more important than in any other area. Here, the “paper”, reflecting the quality of a diamond, has investment significance. Stones are a profitable investment object. Every year they grow in price, despite market fluctuations.

The certificate gives the stone individuality, raises its value, sometimes by a third. Shadows or deviations in the color and quality of a stone can change its market value hundreds of times! Many banks are already preparing to work with precious stones as a collateral fund, the popularity of which is beyond doubt. An important problem is the customs examination of stones. There are practically no knowledgeable specialists on the Russian borders, and therefore there is nothing easier than organizing the illegal export and import of jewelry.

There are cases when in some stores, under the guise of aventurine, customers were offered ... ordinary plastic, under the guise of coral - a shell. Under the self-made magnificent name “Black Star”, the mineral hornblende was hidden, in one store on the window there was “quartz-diopside” that did not exist at all in nature (this name is not found in any reference book). As usual, the plant trusts the supplier, the shops trust the plant, the buyer trusts the sellers. As a result, it happens that in some cases, consumers wear rings with synthetic stones instead of natural ones for years.

Fraudsters profit from the gullibility of ordinary buyers who want to purchase gold or silver jewelry encrusted with precious stones at an attractive inexpensive price. Fianites are found in jewelry where a diamond should have been, and plastic instead of amber in a silver necklace.

Avoid buying fake jewelry with inlays
gemological examination will help.

Gemological examination begins with the definition of a precious stone. Then experts prove its natural origin and look for traces of possible refining. After that, the quality of the gemstone is assessed, but not its value. The final price of a stone is determined by the market and includes, in addition to the cost of the stone, many other components.

The oldest fraud
Since ancient times, various imitations have been used instead of precious stones, up to plain glass. Even Pliny the Elder (a Roman polymath writer) believed that: "There is no occupation more profitable than the forgery of precious stones." Since then, the art of forgery has advanced markedly. In the Middle Ages in the East, they discovered a way to refine sapphires, turning gray stones into more expensive blue ones by annealing. Nowadays, methods for refining natural, but low-grade stones include not only annealing, but also irradiation, filling cracks, and surface coating. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the main operation for counterfeiting precious stones has been the substitution of natural synthetic stones, which are produced on an industrial scale. They completely repeat all the physical properties and appearance of natural ones, and even better in quality than them, but usually much cheaper. Compare, for example, the cost of a natural ruby with the cost of a synthetic ruby: a flawless, good-colored natural ruby weighing 5-10 carats can cost several thousand dollars per carat, while a synthetic ruby of the same size costs only a few dollars per stone. Today, synthetic emeralds, rubies, sapphires, alexandrites are grown on an industrial scale, and, for example, topazes and tourmalines are economically unprofitable to grow in large volumes.

If earlier only colored stones were faked, now diamonds can turn out to be synthetic or ennobled. They can be easily replaced by rhinestones, which can acquire any color, up to the colorless inherent in diamonds.

Purity is a sign of a fake
For different stones, there are different categories of imitation. For example, in most cases, turquoise is sold pressed on the jewelry market. It is made from natural chips by sintering. In nature, turquoise grows in the form of threads, large nodules are very rare and, accordingly, cost fabulous money. When buying precious items with turquoise inlays, experts advise paying attention to the structure and color of the stone. The stones with visible inclusions of other minerals, with a heterogeneous color, are most valued. Absolutely pure turquoise, as well as amber, should alert the buyer.

deceptive tags
Price is also one of the main criteria for identifying a stone. But very often even specialists are “burned”, not to mention ordinary people who buy jewelry once a year as a gift to their loved ones. And it is hardly possible to reproach the sellers and merchandisers of jewelry stores with unprofessionalism, because when they receive the goods, they only superficially examine the products, relying on the lengthy inscriptions on the tags. For example, one of the jewelry stores received a batch of silver items with blue stone inserts, the tags had the inscription “Sapphire сz.”. Experts found it difficult to answer what kind of stone it was. It turned out that this is cubic zirconia, which is called “zirconium cube” abroad (abbreviated as “cz”, which was reflected on the label). Or some manufacturers instead of the inscription "synthetic emerald" write "emerald vyp.", Which means grown emerald. From a legal point of view, there is nothing to complain about, but the average buyer can easily be deceived. In general, the International Gemological Confederation defines the norms for signing inserts in jewelry, but these norms are not federal law, so manufacturers sometimes write the name of the product incorrectly.

circular trust
It is no secret that the trade is not yet very profitable to check jewelry: the buyer is not spoiled, he will take anything. As a rule, buyers who purchase products in small stores selling products of dubious quality, working with resellers, turn to experts for help. Defects are most often associated with the quality of the metal and inserts.

For example, an examination of a ring with a very large, unconventional cut topaz was carried out. A week after the purchase, the insert was lost, the results of the examination showed that a manufacturing defect was allowed: a technically ill-conceived setting of the stone was chosen.

Another reason to turn to experts is the situation of purchase and sale, when it is necessary to evaluate a product that has been inherited, for example (the tags have not been preserved) or an exclusive piece of jewelry made to order.

Often, citizens are deceived when buying jewelry abroad. In Thailand, Italy, Israel, you may be offered to buy jewelry at a lower price, of course, sellers hope that you will not have time to detect a fake in time and are unlikely to return to hand over the product.

There are many cases related to improper handling of the product by the buyer during the wearing period. As a rule, in these cases, the examination makes a decision in favor of the seller. Here is a specific example: a woman bought an expensive set with opals and went on vacation to Thailand, where she sunbathed, swam in the sea without removing her jewelry. As a result, the stones have changed their appearance. The fact is that many stones (opals, corals, turquoise, etc.) are chemically unstable. Therefore, when buying a product, you should consult with a specialist about the rules for wearing and caring for the product.

Rules to follow when buying jewelry
- in all stores in a conspicuous place there should be information about the rights of the buyer and the obligations of the seller of jewelry. Get to know her;

- carefully read the price tag and tag (label) of the product;

- do not hesitate to ask the seller with maximum meticulousness about the quality and characteristics of the product, and first of all about whether the stone in front of you is synthetic or natural. If natural, then was it subjected to refining - exposure (tinting, oil impregnation, heat treatment) in order to hide defects and give a better look;

- most importantly - require a sales receipt indicating all the important characteristics of the product. This document will allow you, if necessary, to defend your rights in court.

How to distinguish natural gemstones from synthetic (artificial) stones

SCIENTISTS GROWED THE HARDEST DIAMONDS FROM A GAS MIXTURE

Making a material that is harder than natural diamond has been the goal of materials scientists for many years. According to NTR.Ru, a group of specialists from the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution has created large diamonds (comparable to jewelry in size), which are superior in hardness to other crystals. Moreover, the researchers grew crystals directly from the gas mixture a hundred times faster than is possible using other modern methods.

Large crystals were grown in just one day. Moreover, the diamonds turned out to be so strong that they broke the measuring equipment. The researchers created the crystals using high-speed chemical vapor deposition, a new process developed by them. Then they subjected them to high temperature treatment under high pressure to make them stronger.

Crystals up to 10 mm in diameter and up to 4.5 mm thick were grown. They turned out to be 50% harder than regular diamonds.

At present, when jewelry with synthetic stones is increasingly found on the market, the question of their identification and difference from natural stones is acute.

Why is it important to distinguish natural stones from synthetic ones? One of the attributes of a gemstone is its rarity. Pure flawless stones are rare in nature, so their value sometimes reaches a very high level. Synthetic gemstones, on the other hand, almost always have higher quality characteristics than natural stones, but cost significantly less than the best natural stones. Compare, for example, the cost of a natural ruby with the cost of a synthetic ruby: a flawless, good-colored natural ruby weighing 5-10 carats can cost several thousand dollars per carat, while a synthetic ruby of the same size costs only a few dollars per stone. If buyers of an expensive stone are not sure of its natural origin, this will undermine the demand for a product of this kind, which, of course, will have negative consequences for the market.

Which of the features of natural and synthetic stones can distinguish them from each other? In nature, the formation of a precious stone takes several tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. In the laboratory, growth can take anywhere from a few hours to (at most) a few months. Also, in the laboratory it is impossible to recreate a process that completely repeats the natural one, so it seems logical to assume that in any crystal of artificial origin, signs can be found due to the conditions of its growth, which will distinguish it from natural stone. Naturally, for crystals obtained by different synthesis methods, such properties may differ.

What signs do gemologists pay attention to when diagnosing the origin of a stone? First of all, these are the internal features of the stone, such as inclusions, zoning (distribution of color), microstructures of growth, for the observation of which a magnifier or microscope is used.

There is a wide variety of synthetic stones on the market today. It is impossible to tell about all of them in the framework of this article, so we will dwell on only some of them in more detail.

SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS In the last decade, great progress has been made in the field of synthesis of gem-quality diamonds. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain gem-quality diamond crystals weighing up to 10-15 carats. In this regard, the market has increased the likelihood of jewelry with synthetic diamonds. In some cases, it is possible to distinguish between natural and synthetic diamonds, for example, inclusions of minerals indicate a natural origin, while inclusions of metals (iron, nickel, manganese) indicate a synthetic one. Synthetic diamonds are also characterized by an uneven zonal-sectoral distribution of fluorescence in ultraviolet light (cross-shaped figures of UV fluorescence can often be observed), on the contrary, natural diamonds are characterized by a uniform or irregular distribution of UV luminescence. However, in some cases, the use of more complex methods for studying a substance is required, such as color and spectral cathodoluminescence, spectroscopy in the visible and IR regions, and also luminescence spectroscopy.

SYNTHETIC RUBIES AND SAPPHIRES Today, there are many synthetic rubies and sapphires on the gemstone market, grown by various synthesis methods, each of which has its own distinctive features. Thus, most of the synthetic rubies and sapphires found on the market were obtained by the Verneuil method, the distinctive features of these stones are curvilinear zoning (which is not observed in natural stones), sometimes they contain inclusions of gas bubbles. Verneuil synthetic rubies are characterized by very strong red UV fluorescence. Rubies and sapphires grown by flux and hydrothermal synthesis methods are the most difficult objects for diagnostics. However, in most cases, it is possible to distinguish them with a magnifying glass or a microscope: flux rubies and sapphires are characterized by inclusions of flux and materials of the growth chamber (crucible) - platinum, gold and copper, and a distinctive feature of hydrothermal corundums is irregular growth microstructures.

SYNTHETIC EMERALD In the last decade, in addition to a large number of hydrothermal rubies and sapphires, most synthetic emeralds are also obtained by this method and are produced in Russia and China. Such emeralds are characterized by tubular inclusions, brownish inclusions of iron oxides, as well as growth and color zoning. In some cases, synthetic emerald crystals may lack the listed characteristics, then IR spectroscopy is used to diagnose them.

SYNTHETIC QUARTZ The most important variety of synthetic quartz found on the market is hydrothermal amethyst. This jewelry material is widely used in the trade mainly because of the strong resemblance to its natural counterpart and the difficulty of distinguishing them. Although inclusions and characteristic twinning structures sometimes make it possible to distinguish between natural and synthetic amethysts, in most cases an unambiguous diagnosis is possible only with the use of complex spectral research methods.

Another important synthetic quartz is ametrine, which was commercially produced by hydrothermal processes in 1994. Synthetic ametrine can be identified by a number of features, including color zoning and twinning patterns. Methods for determining the chemical composition of impurities and IR spectroscopy are also used for diagnostics.

How to distinguish natural gems from imitations (fakes)

Synthetic stones with a good reputation can rise in price and be in demand just like precious stones, and rare specimens can even become collectibles. In general, we can conclude that synthetic gems can coexist peacefully with natural ones, rather complement each other than compete.

Several types of artificial gemstones enter the modern jewelry market. Precious stones synthesized (grown); synthesized crystals of compounds of the group of rare earth elements that are not found in nature, such as cubic zirkonia (diamond imitation); imitation of precious stones from famous glass, which are mainly used in costume jewelry and easily “by eye” differ from precious stones in terms of low hardness; as well as doublets - composite gems glued together from two different minerals.

Aquamarine

This mineral is very similar to topaz in color and even inclusions. However, topazes do not have inclusions characteristic of aquamarine that resemble white chrysanthemums. Also, aquamarine is imitated, both with ordinary glass and with less valuable minerals: synthetic spinel, artificial quartz. You can distinguish them from real aquamarine simply by looking at the stone from different angles: at the same time, aquamarine slightly changes the color scheme, but there is no imitation.

There are no synthetic aquamarines on the jewelry market. The imitations sold under this name are actually bare spinel or glass.

All glass imitations feel warmer to the touch, unlike real stone. If the stone is not set in the frame, holding it with tweezers (so as not to heat it from the hands), touch it with the tip of the tongue - the stone should be cold.

Alexandrite

This is a very rare stone, large specimens are unique. Alexandrite jewelry is very expensive. Alexandrites are forged with rubies with multicolor properties of the mineral under different lighting conditions. This effect is called pleochroism. Also counterfeit glass.

Diamond

The method of obtaining this mineral was based on the concept of the transformation of graphite into diamond. Even at the end of the XVII century. I. Newton suggested that diamond - this hardest mineral - should burn. The Florentine Academy of Sciences donated a diamond crystal for the experiment. It turned out that before burning, diamond at a temperature of 110 ° C turned into graphite. Scientists have decided that the reverse transformation into a diamond is also possible. Many scientists tried to get artificial diamonds. But there was still no success, while the work was carried out without knowledge of the laws of synthesis.

Colorless zircon, synthetic rutic, strontium titanite, synthetic colorless spinel, synthetic colorless sapphire are used to simulate diamond.

When examining a diamond with the naked eye or with a 10x magnifying glass, it must be taken into account that it is processed in such a way that almost all the light entering the stone through the crown is completely reflected from its back faces, as from a series of mirrors. Therefore, if you look at the light through a cut diamond, only a luminous point in the stone will be visible. In addition, if you look through a diamond that is in a ring put on a finger, then it is impossible to see the finger through it.

The chemist Klaproth determined that a drop of hydrochloric acid does not affect diamond, but leaves a cloudy spot on zircon.

Diamond leaves a scratch on the surface of the glass, as well as on the polished surface of other stones. When a cut diamond is pressed firmly against the surface of a specimen, the diamond "clings" to it, leaving a visible scratch that does not disappear when rubbed with a wet finger. For such a test, the least noticeable place is chosen.

To distinguish diamond from spinel and synthetic sapphire, the stones are immersed in a colorless liquid with a refractive index close to that of spinel and sapphire (methylene iodide or monoftlen monobromide). Spinel and sapphire simply won't show up in liquid, and diamond will shine brightly. A similar, but less distinct, "disappearing" effect of a fake diamond is produced by plain water and glycerin. In the same way, simpler and cheaper fakes for a diamond are isolated - lead-rich crystal glass.

Diamonds are counterfeited quite often with minerals such as monsoonites (practically indistinguishable without special equipment), cubic zirkonia, leucosapphires, etc. You can distinguish a fake from a genuine diamond by looking at any lighting device. It is necessary to hold the stone with a crown perpendicular to the light source. In a genuine diamond, the facets located at the back will fully glow. But this is not yet a guarantee of authenticity. You can also check the mineral for authenticity due to its hardness property. If you rub a diamond with sandpaper, it will not leave scratches, on other minerals it will leave roughness. If you run a diamond over stones that have a lower hardness (for example, sapphire or emerald), then a real diamond will leave scratches on such minerals. Synthetic diamond substitutes will not have any inclusions or bubbles inside, while a real diamond will definitely have it.

Amethyst

Amethysts are pure and bright in color. The properties of real and synthetic amethyst are very similar and it is not easy to distinguish between them. The artificial mineral is now used by jewelers quite often, since it is produced on an industrial scale, in contrast to them, colored amethyst-like cubic zirkonia can be recognized: they heat up faster, this can be found out, for example, by applying them to the face.

Turquoise

It is even faked with plastic, which, of course, is not as porous and not even as the real one. Imitation glass has small bubbles in its structure, which cannot be said about real stone. Also, by refining in the laboratory, low-grade turquoise is converted into high-quality turquoise. There, small particles of turquoise can be glued together, and treated with temperature, and much more. Enamel, compressed turquoise powder, and the cheap mineral Howlite are also given out as turquoise. Howlite looks like turquoise when dyed. In general, natural turquoise without defects is an almost improbable phenomenon.

Crystals made from crushed turquoise with glue are difficult to distinguish from real ones. And only over time, fakes acquire a dirty shade.
Heliodor

Heliodor - lemon shade is precious if it is pure, without inclusions. If the stone does not meet these parameters, then it is not valuable. The natural mineral Heliodor, when held over glass, will leave a mark, since it is much harder than glass.
Rhinestone

Artificial rock crystal is obtained from quartz mixed with lime and soda. Dishes are also made from this mineral. The stone is also forged with plain glass. The difference between real rock crystal is that it does not have high thermal conductivity, unlike fakes. Looking into the inside of a natural mineral, one can see there, as it were, a slight haze. Rock crystal glistens, like glass, not shimmering with iridescent colors, unlike diamond.

Real rock crystal is always cool to the touch.

grenades

Garnets are precious stones that have the power of magnetic attraction. Some other stones are also determined by magnetism. To do this, a stone (previously weighed) is placed on a high cork (to separate it from the metal pan of the scales), which is placed on the bowl. After the scales are balanced, a small horseshoe-shaped magnet is slowly brought to the stone until it almost touches the surface of the stone. If the mineral has a noticeable magnetism, then the balance will be disturbed when the magnet is 10-12 mm from the stone. Record the minimum weight that is "held" by the magnet. The difference between them by the true weight will characterize the attraction of the stone to the magnet.

The grenade is lucky in the sense that it is almost never faked. He must thank for this the unique features of his nature, as well as his rather inexpensive cost. The fact is that garnet has magnetic properties. If you want to distinguish a real pomegranate from a fake right in the store, you will need the actual magnet, metal scales and a cork. We put the cork on the scales, put a mineral on it, then we bring a magnet to it, and the arrow of the scales will begin to oscillate. An even simpler method for determining a natural stone concerns its size, because the garnet itself cannot be larger than the "Bob". In practice, the size of the stone does not exceed the size of the grain of the plant - Pomegranate.

Pearl

The secret of pearl cultivation was discovered in China, and this craft flourished there for seven centuries. In 1890, the Japanese adopted the experience of growing pearls and created an entire industry. The Japanese were among the last to develop the cultivation of pearls without a nucleus, in which a piece of the mantle tissue of another mollusk is inserted into cuts in the mantle of a mollusk. Pearls grow quickly, yield is high. If the mollusk, after the removal of the pearl from it, is returned to the sea again, you can again get pearls from it. Such pearls are also called cultured. Since 1956, the pearl growing industry began to develop in Australia.

The word "pearl" without definitions is allowed to be used only for natural pearls. Large pearls are considered collectible and are sold separately at a higher price. 70% of pearls are sold as beads.

Pearls found in nature are of much greater value than cultured pearls due to the insertion of a bead into a clam shell. Natural pearls of large size are very expensive, unlike analogues. An X-ray machine, having illuminated the internal structure of pearls, will help to distinguish cultured pearls from natural ones.

Emerald

Emeralds can be subjected to the process of refining, since the price of the mineral is directly dependent on the saturation of color and hue. Artificial refinement reduces the value of the stone. As a result of refining, the color and clarity of the stone can be improved, and the brilliance can be transferred as a result of applying a special coating.

Synthetic emeralds were only made in the laboratory of Carroll Chatham, a San Francisco chemist, for many years. Now on an industrial scale, emeralds are produced by a number of companies, and methods for the production of synthetic emeralds are constantly being improved, so that synthetic emeralds are practically indistinguishable from natural ones.

The characteristic features of synthetic stones are twisted veils.

Quartz

Quartz can be distinguished from glass by touching the stone and glass with the tip of the tongue. Quartz is much colder.

Lapis lazuli

It will be difficult for even an inexperienced eye to confuse with something else, because it has a pure saturated blue color. Imitations are paler, they can be azurite, dumortierite, lazulite, sodolite. They also fake dyed jasper, dyed synthetic spinel under lapis lazuli - these fakes will leave a strong mark after themselves in a glass of clean water. True lapis lazuli is not.
Moon rock

Imitation is both glass and plastic, non-uniformly colored. The only thing that cannot be conveyed in imitations is a million shades of colors when the mineral plays in the light. Also, sparkles will flicker inside the mineral. Analogues, such as artificial spinel and white chalcedony, can only be distinguished using x-rays. In a real moonstone, under the influence of X-rays, a light lilac glow is detected. Another fake is "opal glass". Here, to determine the true moonstone, we need a magnifying glass tenfold, through which the layered structure of the stone can be seen.

Ruby

This is the first gemstone that began to be obtained at the beginning of the 20th century on an industrial basis on a large scale. According to recent reports, the production of synthetic rubies has reached one million carats. Artificial rubies are used for jewelry, and the difference in prices between natural and synthetic is very large.

First of all, it must be remembered that pure, densely colored large ones are extremely rare in nature. This fact alone calls into question the natural origin of a large ruby.

The cost of quality rubies can be equal to the price of a diamond. A real ruby is not devoid of natural microscopic inclusions, defects, even if it seems perfectly transparent to the naked eye. You can scratch another mineral with a lower hardness characteristic with a ruby - scratches will be visible. Stones that are small in size and have a cloudy structure, inlaid in gold and silver items, are rather real. Because because of the inexpensive price, it makes no sense to fake them. Under ultraviolet light, a fake ruby will become an orange hue.

There are popular ways to determine the naturalness of a ruby:

1. When a mineral is placed in a glass dish, a reddish light will pour out of it.

2. Milk in a glass will become slightly pink - if it contains a ruby.

3. From one corner the mineral is pale, from the other - a dark red hue

4. In natural ruby, the crack is zigzag-shaped and does not glow brightly when illuminated, unlike imitations, where the crack is straight and shines.

5. Natural ruby in inclusions rarely has bubbles, and if they do, then in color, they do not differ from the color of the mineral. In fakes, the bubbles may be lighter, they may be empty inside.

6. If you put a real stone on your eyelid, it will stay cold for a long time. Synthetic substitute or glass quickly changes the temperature to a warmer one.

Sapphire

It is possible to distinguish a real sapphire from numerous "twins" only due to physical and chemical parameters, and not by external signs. A synthetic fake can be immediately excluded by the presence of inclusions inside the stone. Natural imitations that also have natural inclusions can be sorted as follows: in a special liquid with a certain specific gravity, sapphire falls to the bottom, while a fake floats up. Sapphire is harder than ruby or emerald - when these minerals are held over sapphire, no traces remain.

If a stone is immersed in a liquid with a certain refractive index, the following color distribution can be observed in it: in a synthetic stone there are always curved, differently colored stripes, in a natural one - the stripes are straight and are parallel to one or more faces.

Topaz

Topaz is a natural mineral that feels smooth and cool when touched by the skin. Topaz will attract small particles (for example, napkins) - if rubbed with a woolen cloth. A real stone will sink to the bottom if you put it in a container of methylene iodide. Counterfeits, such as quartz, will not sink. But there are better fakes - imitating even the physical properties of the mineral. With the help of heat treatment, a pale mineral can be ennobled and acquire a brighter color. It is possible to reveal the naturalness of a stone only in the laboratory of a gemologist. The mineral amethyst is faked under topaz by heating. Such a fake will be called "Golden Topaz, Madeira Topaz"

It is exceptionally easy to polish and can sometimes be identified by touch by its characteristic "slipperiness". Synthetic corundum of various shades of pink is used to imitate pink topaz. However, it looks too good to be real.

Chrysolite

Painted glass is more often found as a fake. Unlike a glass fake, chrysolite has a uniform “color” without seals. Also, this mineral is imitated with green plastic, which is naturally easy to scratch. Other minerals that are trying to replace chrysolite can only be determined in the laboratory. It can be either chrysoberyl or tourmaline. It is worth remembering that the large size of this mineral is a very rare occurrence.

Zircon

No stone, with the exception of opal and diamond, can be identified as easily as zircon. With the naked eye or with a simple magnifying glass. Its special brilliance, somewhat reminiscent of diamond and at the same time oily or resinous, combined with a characteristic color scheme, often makes it possible to recognize the stone at first sight. Using a magnifying glass, when looking through the top of the stone, one can see the worn edges of the facets.

Citrine

You can be deceived by slipping cheaper substitutes - ennobled quartz, or heat-treated amethyst. When buying jewelry, you should take into account that the color of natural citrine is not as bright yellow as substitutes can be. It's more of a calm tone. Also, a real mineral, when viewed from different angles, changes its hue from pale yellow to bright yellow. Imitations do not have such properties.

Spinel

Synthetic spinel entered the market in the 1920s. Spinel is easily confused with amethyst, chrysoberyl, garnet, ruby, sapphire, topaz. But experts distinguish spinel very simply - by the absence of birefringence in it.

Amber

Amber is a resin hardened many centuries ago. And it is quite common in gold and silver jewelry. Amber is counterfeited with lower quality minerals or plastics. If you bring a match to a plastic fake, then, accordingly, it will smell of plastic, not resin. On immature amber, when ignited, spots appear. The pressed amber becomes sticky.

Natural amber is electrified by friction, however, some imitations (made of plastic) are also electrified. But if there is no electrification - a clear fake. The following method for determining imitations of amber is very effective. If you draw a strip along the surface of amber with a knife blade, it will give a small crumb, and an imitation of twisted chips. Unlike synthetic materials, amber is easily rubbed into powder. Amber will float in brine (10 teaspoons (topless) of table salt per cup of water), and imitations other than polystyrene will sink. After checking, the product should be thoroughly rinsed in running water so that a salt crust does not form.

Jewelry made of precious stones is a wonderful gift for yourself or for loved ones. It is believed that precious stones have a number of healing properties, and if chosen correctly, they can correct well-being, health, and even luck. But how to choose the right stone?

Tells the collector Evgeny Vikstrem: “The first thing to say is that gems are very often counterfeited, so you should never buy them in dubious places. Go to a well-established store or a jewelry show.

The second point - you need to know how to visually distinguish a real stone from a copy. Contrary to popular belief, natural stones do not often have a perfect appearance - they were created by nature over millions of years, and not masters in the laboratory made a shiny glass in an hour and a half.

For example, rubies are rarely clean, without inclusions and large size - such stones cost thousands of dollars, so when you see an ideal ruby for a couple of tens of dollars, you should already think - is it really a ruby?

The same goes for topazes. To imitate pink topaz, synthetic corundum is used, which is too shiny and sparkling, as for real topaz. "Characteristic features of synthetic emeralds are twisted veils. Quartz can be easily distinguished from glass by touching the stone and glass with your tongue. Real quartz is much colder than glass."

Why is it important to learn to distinguish real stones from fakes? First, not to overpay. It's one thing when you are offered beads made of pseudo-natural stone for $10, and another thing when they sell you a fake for a thousand with the words "this stone is natural." Secondly, synthetic stones do not have the same composition as natural ones, and therefore, accordingly, there can be no talk of any healing properties. And what kind of pleasure can we talk about wearing jewelry if you know that it was made of glass on a stamping machine in 10 minutes?

Imitation and recognition of gemstones

When determining the value of gemstones, errors often occur, especially if the stones are similar to each other or have the same color or colorless.

The main identification marks of diamonds are their high hardness, refraction of light and scattering of colors.

The same high brilliance that a faceted diamond has is possessed by: colorless zircon (during firing it turns yellow, brown and reddish tones), leucosapphire, phenakite, rock crystal, "marble diamond" (quartz), colorless topaz and spinel; they, like diamond, are single-refracting.

Natural ruby replaced by red or pink spinel, tourmaline or topaz. Some blue stones, such as blue spinel, tourmaline or cordierite and cyanite, differ from sapphire in lower hardness and density. Olivine (chrysolite), Russian green topaz and tourmaline, as well as chrysoprase are sometimes mistaken for emeralds.

Behind yellow(gold) topaz citrine is often given out, especially burnt amethyst or rauchtopaz, which turn yellow as a result of firing. Differently colored fluorites that are used as imitations amethyst, topaz, emerald And ruby, are easy to recognize because they have a low hardness (4).

Used in jewelry, dense black opaque onyx, blue chalcedony And apple green chrysoprase are, in fact, skillfully painted (bog) chalcedony. Artificial turquoise in appearance it is no different from natural, but when heated, it turns blue or brown.

Synthetic gemstones resulting from the combination of two stones are called doublets. So-called " real doublet"is a stone, the top and bottom of which are made of a homogeneous mineral (connected with Canadian balsam or mastic). "Artificial doublets", the so-called "mixles", are obtained by melting colored glass (bottom) on a plane of translucent quartz or garnet (top). Loose, loose doublets are easy to recognize.

The most widespread are synthetic precious and semi-precious stones of all shades, imitated by differently colored glass. They are softer than natural stones, scratched with a file, and can also be recognized by their optical properties. They are always unirefringent, and if colored, they never show signs of polychroism.

Diamonds are imitated by transparent, carefully polished glass with strong refraction, under which a mirror substance is usually placed to increase the light effect. Imitations of emeralds have inside the typical defects of natural emeralds. Garnets are imitated with glass, the color of which does not differ from the color of natural garnets. However, glass has a lower hardness and density.

In order to learn to distinguish precious and semi-precious stones from artificial ones, especially those fixed in jewelry, you need to have a lot of experience. It is believed that a specialist recognizes by eye which stone is natural and which is artificial. But this is not possible in all cases! Today's chemistry and technology have made it possible to obtain artificial gems that are similar to natural ones to the smallest detail. Some methods for determining stones require not only professional, but also scientific knowledge, and sometimes special research work.

From book: Toybl K. "Jewellery" - Moscow: Light and food industry, 1982 - p.200

Content:

The popularity of precious and semi-precious stones is growing day by day, so it is not surprising that some sellers are trying to cash in on it. Nowadays, the chance to buy a fake gem is simply huge. But this can be avoided if you know what exactly is most often passed off as precious crystals, and what properties real stones have.

Most often, oddly enough, among the fakes you can find precious stones, which, it seems to us, are quite common. Imitation champions include turquoise, garnet and moonstone.. We are used to the fact that they are inexpensive and quite affordable, but this is not entirely true. These gems are indeed not too rare, but they are by no means as cheap as we used to think. Therefore, the first thing you should pay attention to when buying jewelry with one of these stones is the price.

How to recognize fake turquoise

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For example, beads made of natural turquoise cannot cost 20-30 dollars, since the price of this mineral, even for one gram, will be significantly higher. But, really, if we talk about the so-called. precious turquoise, which is almost impossible to see on sale in modern products. This turquoise is extremely sensitive. The mineral itself is quite porous, so it reacts rather badly to excess moisture, lotions or creams. He also does not like very dry air and bright rays of the sun. In general, natural turquoise is more durable than pearls, but not too much.

Even less resistant to external damage is semi-precious turquoise. Its density is lower, and the color is less even than that of the precious. It is she who makes up more than 80% of the production of this mineral. In order to improve the color of turquoise and prolong its life, it is stabilized. Most often, they are impregnated with wax to enhance the brightness and strength of the stone.

The cheapest variety of natural turquoise is pressed. It is obtained from stone chips mixed with resins and dye. Formally, such a stone can be considered natural, since it is made from the same mineral. Pressed turquoise is the brightest and most stable. It is this gem that is most often found in modern jewelry. But, despite the cheapness of the pressed variety, you can still find many fakes on the market.

Turquoise is imitated with plastic, glass, ceramics and cheaper minerals. And if glass is easy to recognize by its characteristic ringing, and plastic, trying to pierce a stone with a hot needle, then with other imitations it is somewhat more difficult.

Signs of a Fake Moonstone

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The moonstone can be considered the leader in the number of fakes. In Russia, its less transparent variety is more common - belomorite. Finding a genuine gem is much easier abroad than here. Most often, the moonstone is imitated using opal glass. I must admit that such an imitation looks much prettier than a real gem. But if we are talking about how to determine the authenticity of a moonstone, then all we need is attention. The structure of a natural mineral is such that, regardless of its color and degree of transparency, overflows in it can only occur from a certain angle of view. Unlike imitation, which can cast blue even when you look at it at a right angle, real belomorite has this property only if it is tilted at an angle of 15 degrees. Hold the stone in your hands and tilt it in different directions. If the glare and reflections remain unchanged, then you have a fake.

There is another interesting way to determine the authenticity of a moonstone. Dip the stone or product with it for one hour in water. No metamorphoses will happen with a fake, but a natural gem will look much more beautiful and brighter than before immersion.

Pomegranate Authentication

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Garnets have always been considered quite affordable and cheap stones in our country. But recently the situation has changed somewhat. Therefore, the number of fakes on the market is growing. Most often, this gem is faked with glass. Therefore, it is not difficult to determine the authenticity of a pomegranate. Take a piece of glass with you to the store and try to scratch it with the gem that is offered to you. If the pomegranate is natural, this procedure will not harm it, but a trace should remain on the glass.

Czech garnets are considered quite popular in the world. They can be distinguished from others by color and size. An authentic Czech garnet cannot be larger than 8 millimeters. But most of these pebbles in products correspond to sizes of 3-5 mm. The Czech garnet has a very beautiful purple-red color without a hint of red. Therefore, if under the guise of a Czech garnet you are offered a stone with an orange tint or a rather impressive size, further tests do not make sense - they want to sell you an imitation.

The surest way to test a pomegranate is with a magnet. To do this, you need: a saucer with water, a piece of foam, a magnet and the actual object of verification. A product with a pomegranate or the crystal itself must be placed on a piece of foam floating in a saucer. Then we bring a magnet to the gem. Starting at a distance of a centimeter, the gem should begin to be attracted to the magnet, if it is real.